That Ever Fixed Mark
by Paper Pearls
Summary: Echo is an exceptional Active; she breaks all of the rules. She even causes Adelle to forget her restraint and break a few of her own, too. A multi-chaptered story set throughout series 1 & 2.
1. Prologue

**This is my first 'Dollhouse' story, and I hope that you enjoy reading it enough to leave me a review. It begins around the time of "True Believer" in series one and will continue through to the end of the 'Dollhouse' timeline – brace yourself for some angst in later chapters.**

**OoOoO**

"_...Love is not love,_

_Which alters when it alteration finds,_

_Or bends with the remover to remove._

_O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark,_

_That looks on tempests and is never shaken._

_It is the star to every wandering bark,_

_Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken."_

-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

**OoOoO**

At first, it had been easy enough to ignore; Adelle DeWitt, after all, was no stranger to self-restraint. It mattered very little that her interest in one of her Actives had developed beyond being purely professional – Echo was a fascinating case study, as the others in her house agreed, and so it was easy enough to conceal, in the beginning. However, it had quickly developed from curiosity into something more, and this undercurrent of emotion was starting to undermine her cool stoicism. What bothered Adelle wasn't that she was experiencing such feelings, but rather that she had so little control over them; it was impossible for her to put aside her attraction to Echo like she did the other thoughts and feelings that were unnecessary for the carrying out of her job.

Adelle liked to imagine that, had things been different, she could have overcome the hardship of her temptation, although she was a realist – not the type to dwell on what might have been. As it was, she saw Echo daily. With increasing regularity, Adelle caught herself watching – observing more closely than, strictly speaking, protocol demanded. Indeed, the glass panelling of the Dollhouse seemed to invite her attention, a window with the perfect view into temptation.

She saw Echo relaxing with the other Actives, stretching during her yoga sessions and honing the muscles of a body that had been used both to kill and to caress.

She saw Echo swimming in the pool, moving sleekly through the water, going back and forth in a repetitive pattern that could not be described as being human.

She saw Echo taking on different, contrasting personalities and making every last one of them her own. (In a certain respect, it was particularly disconcerting seeing Echo stripped of something that she had developed so uniquely.)

She saw Echo as an Active, and she also saw, perhaps better than anyone else, what Echo had the potential to become.

Never the type to lose her inhibitions completely, Adelle was also aware of herself and what it was that she was in danger of becoming: seduced by the mystery of an Active. And so it was that Adelle had begun to think of getting rid of the smoke and mirrors, and also propriety, in order to overcome her desire before any situation could arise.

It had been during this line of thought that Adelle had booked the appointment, carried along by its illogical wave as she keyed in the time, date, location and nature of the appointment into her diary. It was only when she had clicked 'save' and sat back in her chair, facing the newly altered data, that Adelle was struck by how ridiculous her own actions were – the actions of a desperate, ludicrously lonely woman. Even in the security of her own office she had felt as though a thousand unknown eyes were upon her, every last one judging her for her weakness.

Ever able to brush over the thoughts that left her feeling uncomfortable, Adelle had poured herself a drink and tried not to think about what she had done. And that approach had worked, for the most part.

The only problem was that no matter how much influence she had in the Dollhouse, not even Adelle DeWitt could stop time.

The day of her appointment had arrived and Adelle was unable to put the thought of it from her head. She had seen Echo imprinted for numerous romantic engagements; bright and bubbly, a little naive; coy and flirtatious, ready for action; exotic and sensual, alluring in a way that few women ever were; even, once or twice, a dominatrix.

Adelle was curious to see what it was that Topher would have wrangled up for her after she had included the specifications of the aptly named Miss Lonelyhearts. She was the kind of woman who would use an alias born of a cultural reference, and so Adelle doubted that Topher would know that it was her, yet she found that she was terrified of being seen by any of her staff, him in particular, as she made her way out of her office – the idea that they could read her desperation was highly improbable, but so was the very idea of the Dollhouse. She hadn't planned on doing so as it was a luxury that she rarely afforded herself, however Adelle decided to take the rest of the day off and prepare for her meeting with Echo. She was too anxious to work.

She descended the stairs and walked out into the car park, trying to remain composed as she saw Tango and her handler returning from an appointment. Thankfully, the Active was too busy trying to convince her handler that he should serve as witness for some form of impromptu wedding ceremony for either one of them to pay her any attention.

Opening the door to her Lexus, Adelle slid into the car, the leather cool beneath her legs as she sat down. She turned the key in the ignition and the car was instantly filled with life – it was rather like the Actives, in that respect, although she suspected that Caroline was never too far beneath Echo's surface. Giving her thoughts over to the Dollhouse's most profitable asset, Adelle navigated her way through the streets of Los Angeles with practiced ease. When she reached the suburbs the traffic had thinned out substantially, and so the pleasure of driving on an open road, being in total control of the car, did away with the worst of her nerves. Driving was one of the few things that she found to me more enjoyable in the United States.

In seemingly no time at all, she had made it to the spare home that she kept on the coast of California. It was an acquisition she had made upon her arrival in Los Angeles when she had discovered how overpopulated and dirty the city really was, although Adelle had spent far less time there than she had initially planned. It was a pleasant house and even if the architecture wasn't as refined as she would have liked it to be – too American by half and, unfortunately, without even the vaguest pretentions to any particular era – the view of the shore more than compensated, as did the fact that Rossam were unaware of it.

The furnishings were minimalist and understated, just as she liked them to be, and everything had been left in perfect order from her last stay. Adelle hadn't planned on changing, however she poured herself a glass of wine and made her way into the bedroom in order to begin the search for an alternative outfit; it felt wrong to be wearing the clothes that she donned for the office when she would be seeing Echo.

She unzipped her skirt and stepped out of it, undoing the buttons of her blouse as she went. Her clothes fell to the carpet without a sound, a solitary prelude to what was still to come. Eying herself in the mirror, Adelle took in her own form with analytical detachment. Her figure was slender and trim – the years had been kind to her, as her culinary vices were few, drink excluded, and she had never been put under the strain of pregnancy. That wasn't to say that it was perfect, but then an Active was imprinted to appreciate, not to judge.

Selecting a loose-fitting blue dress, Adelle pulled it over her head and tied the sash. It was more casual than any of her work clothes, creating an altogether softer impression. She was tired of being the Ice Queen all of the time, even if it did come to her naturally.

She toyed with her cosmetics, uncertain how much or how little would be best. It had been a long time since she had met with anyone for such reasons, much less those with a more savoury, romantic foundation. Before Adelle could reach a decision, the doorbell rang. Lifting her glass from the vanity, Adelle went to answer. It could only be one person; she didn't make a habit of giving out her address and the house was too out of the way for any door-to-door salesmen to consider it a worthwhile trek. Sure enough, Echo was waiting for her when she opened the door. Only, she wasn't Echo – not strictly speaking.

"Hi. My name's Anna Dale. I'm a photographer, and I was told that the resident of this house was interested in seeing some of my prints. You're Catherine Graham, right?" She extended a hand, her smile broad. It seemed that Echo was a bohemian-chic, young professional, clad in artistically shredded jeans, a shirt and a fitted waistcoat. It was an attractive look, if not what Adelle had predicted.

"That is correct, yes." Shaking Anna's hand, Adelle took the time to perform a quick sweep of the outside area of the house in order to ascertain that there was no black van and no sign of Boyd Langton in the vicinity. "Do come in."

Anna complied, and her expression did not change as she took in the expensive decor of the living room, although her eyes were darting around as though she was imagining how best to arrange the room for a photo shoot. She set her briefcase on the coffee table and began to set a selection of photographs out.

"Nice place you've got here."

"Thank you. Would you care for a glass of wine, Miss Dale?" Adelle lifted a second glass from the cupboard and moved towards the bottle expectantly.

"Sure. Why not?" Anna took the proffered glass and clinked it against Adelle's, her eyes widening slightly as the taste of the wine rolled over her tongue – it was doubtlessly more expensive than the freelance photographer would have been used to, if her wardrobe was anything to go by. "You were at my showing last month, right?"

Sensing that an affirmative answer was expected of her, Adelle nodded.

"Yes. Your work was rather striking." She sat down on the sofa and began to go through the photographs. Several depicted dilapidated areas in a light that could only be described as beautiful, and there were a few of the kind of 'art' Adelle knew to be referred to as installations in amongst them.

"So are you; striking, you know? I didn't forget your face. Just wish I'd brought my camera, because even if you don't buy anything, you'd take one hell of a portrait." Anna smiled, seemingly unaware of how forward she was being. Raising her eyebrows, Adelle ceased rifling through the pictures.

She hadn't expected Echo to be quite so bold. It was curious that from the specifics of the request she had placed, Topher had constructed such a personality.

"Perhaps some other time..."

"I've made you uncomfortable, haven't I? Sorry about that." Echo looked perfectly at ease – far from apologetic, although her self-assurance made it impossible for Adelle to hold it against her. "I'm always shooting my mouth off and saying the wrong thing. My dad reckons that's why I still need to take so many assignments for papers."

"Ah..." Adelle was still thrown by what the creation of this imprint said about her. "Why not tell me more about each of these. I can't imagine that the subject of your own work would allow for you to go too far wrong."

Anna did as she was instructed, flashing Adelle a grateful smile in return from the escape clause. There was a story behind every one of them and, as Echo's voice washed over her, Adelle found herself becoming more interested than she would have thought possible. In what felt like no time at all, photographs were covering the tabletop, the arms of the sofa, and even her lap.

"I'd like to take five enlarged prints, all of them framed, as well as a collage or two." Adelle picked out the photographs she had selected and handed them over, wondering idly who it was that had taken them. "If I am satisfied with them, then perhaps I shall order more for friends."

A look of sheer delight crossed Echo's face, and Adelle couldn't help but feel glad that she had, in an indirect way, proven to be the source of that joy. It was a charade too pleasing for her to question.

"Are you for real? That's amazing!" She shifted under Adelle's scrutiny, clearing her throat before continuing to speak. "I – I mean thank you for your patronage. That's just sorted out my rent for another -"

"Shall we draw up the papers?" Adelle looked towards the briefcase and watched as Anna scrambled to collect her photographs, made clumsy by enthusiasm. Discussing the nuts and bolts of a transaction was not how Adelle operated.

"Yeah, just... give me one second." Anna leaned across Adelle and scooped the final photographs from the sofa, her proximity quite delicious. She then scooped the last couple of photographs from her lap, her fingers gently grazing Adelle's thigh in a way that made her tense in surprise. She could feel the warmth of Echo's fingers through the thin material of her dress.

Noticing the other woman's discomfort, Anna moved backwards. Their eyes met and Adelle was the first to look away. This woman, Anna, was appealing in ways that Adelle wasn't prepared to examine too closely, but what made her most attractive was that the hand beneath the glove was Echo. It was almost too real for her to tolerate.

"Would you excuse me please?" Without waiting for an answer, Adelle stood and opened the door to the balcony. The night air was cool against her skin and fresh with the smell of the ocean, restoring a sharpness to the sensed that had been dulled by a combination of wine and the intoxicating presence of Echo.

Placing her hands against the balcony wall, Adelle breathed deeply, allowing the wash of the surf against the rocks below to calm her. There was nothing to keep her from giving in to her temptations and having Echo in this form, save for a floundering sense that it was wrong.

"Catherine? Are you alright?" Anna stepped out into the balcony and placed a hand on the small of Adelle's back. "I didn't mean to make you freak out like that."

Adelle turned, uncertain of how best to proceed. She watched as Echo's hair rippled in the breeze, its rich darkness catching the moonlight. It was difficult to stop herself from reaching out.

"It's quite alright." Adelle folded her arms in a protective gesture.

"Alright? So you wanted...?" Taking silence for assent, she moved closer. Close enough that her breath was tickling Adelle's neck. "So you'd be okay with me kissing you?"

"That depends: do you ordinarily indulge in such behaviour?"

"Not with clients." Anna tilted her head upwards and pressed her lips against Adelle's in a chaste kiss. She tasted of dry white wine, lip-gloss and something that was uniquely Echo. "Does that make a difference to you?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Flustered by the contact, Adelle didn't know what to do with her hands. They floated by her sides in a rather useless fashion until Anna grasped them, placing one on her waist and keeping the other clasped in her own hand. "I'll sign regardless of this, you know -"

Adelle's words were swallowed by Echo's – _Anna's_ – mouth once again seeking out her own. This time she gave herself over to the embrace entirely, allowing Echo's tongue to slip into her mouth and explore.

"That's sweet and all," Growing even more daring, Anna bit at the hollow of Adelle's neck, "but I think that I can think of something I'd rather be doing than working."

"And what might that be?" Adelle shuddered under Anna's touch, her breathing deepening as a hand moved to caress her thigh.

"You." Anna nibbled gently on Adelle's lower lip, sucking away the tiny hurt she had inflicted. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed – it seemed that she liked to be in control. "You've never even done this once, have you?"

"Never in a Sapphic manner, no." As she made the admission, Adelle understood why it was that Echo had been programmed in this way; she was confident and practiced in the art of loving another woman, and her lack of inhibitions had allowed for her to make an advance without fear of the consequences.

"Sapphic? God, you're British – so proper." Anna laughed as she leant in for another heated kiss. All of Adelle's reasoning began to slip away as she realised that she could indeed have Echo for her own.

"Shall we take this back indoors?" Breaking away from Anna, she returned inside and led the way to her bedroom.

Addele was allowing for the line between fantasy and reality to become irrevocably blurred. The moral question of what she was doing became all but irrelevant, forgotten in her desire for Echo.

**OoOoO**

**Thanks for reading. Please review! There will be more soon. **


	2. Chapter 1

**I don't have the words to describe how much a review would mean to me, even if it's just to say 'I like this' (although I'd much prefer to know what you dis/liked, as that would be far more helpful). Please, please leave one for this chapter, especially if you have subscribed!**

**OoOoO**

Their engagement had gone according to plan – better than Adelle had imagined possible, actually – and the imprint of Anna had been very pleasant indeed. She had been a generous and encouraging lover and in the morning she had proven to be rather sweet as well, making pancakes for breakfast and dancing with her before dinner, of all things – to convince her to live a little, or so it she had deduced. There was only one problem – one which, had she been thinking clearly, Adelle knew that she would have foreseen: having known how wonderful it felt to be with Echo, Adelle couldn't help but want to do it again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And so developed a facsimile of a relationship – it was a gross, sad and delicious parody of love. Yet, Adelle was growing to rely on her affair with Echo. It was the promise of warm human contact that she used to get herself through each of the tough choices she made as well as the unease that her job, at times, left her with. It was at once more and less meaningful than any of Adelle's previous romances; the former because of how right it felt to have Echo by her side, in her arms, and the latter because at the end of their engagements, Anna would return to the Dollhouse where she would cease to exist, leaving Echo in her wake.

As their relationship unfolded, however, Adelle had noticed some small changes, anomalies which she would have been able to dismiss, had they been individual occurrences without the others to add to her suspicions that Echo was evolving. Although a secret part of her was curious to see where these developments would lead, Adelle had acted in what she knew to be a logical fashion – she had conducted an experiment designed to restore order to her house. The Dollhouse was, after all, her main and only priority (or so she told herself).

It had been fascinating, seeing Caroline deal with the reality of her present situation. There was a hint of Anna's strong-mindedness in her behaviour – the boldness with which she had explored the Dollhouse and demanded the freedom of her fellow Actives, even the very assumption that she was capable of escaping for a second time.

Although the test had allowed for a fascinating insight into her unwitting lover's mindset, Adelle found that it had raised more questions than it had answered. In front of her eyes, she had seen Caroline – the woman she had done her best to erase and forget; a Caroline who certainly wasn't her Anna, even if they shared certain qualities, and wasn't Echo either, although Echo was clearly a part of her. To Adelle, it was like having her own holy trinity of women, each one supposedly the same person yet undeniably different from her other components. It was terribly confusing.

Adelle had been on edge as she had introduced herself to the woman who had shared her bed and, arguably, the more tender of the feelings that she was able to give. She had been prepared for Caroline's moral righteousness and indignation, but not for how desperately she had wanted to plead with Caroline to keep on loving her.

Echo had wanted – no, _needed_ – to save people who should have been nothing to her; total strangers. As Adelle had watched her fall to the ground, Caroline retreating to the depths of Echo's mind, she had realised how much she wanted Echo to experience the same fierce, illogical loyalty towards her.

Made uncomfortable by the fluidity of her understanding of Echo, Adelle had tried to restrain herself and go without another appointment – it was, after all, an unhealthy state of affairs. However, she had been unable to resist for long. Her confusion and the resultant upset were not exactly conducive to a desire for solitude.

When Anna arrived at her house, entering without so much as knocking, it was as thought she sensed that Adelle was out of sorts, because she went out of her way to take the older woman's mind from what was bothering her and bring it to focus upon lighter matters. Unfortunately, her tenacity only served to remind Adelle that what they shared was based upon falsehoods rather than facts – that, ultimately, she was alone.

"If you're too stubborn to tell me what's bothering you – too British – then I'll just have to take your mind off it in the American way." She looked up at Adelle from her resting place on the floor. In spite of her jibe, it was clear from the warmth in Anna's gaze that she found Adelle's more stoic personality traits to be endearing.

"And what would that be, Anna? Do you plan on pinning me down and taking what you want by force, or trying to impress me with your dazzling wealth until I give it over?" Adelle took a long drink of her tea, ignoring the mock-scandalised look that was being sent her way but for a quirk of her eyebrows. "Upset that I would dare to say anything so libellous about your great nation?"

"No, as tempting as that first option sounds. I'm kind of freaked out that it's scorching outside and you're drinking boiling tea. That can't be natural." Anna watched with a kind of morbid fascination as Adelle raised the mug to her lips once more, wrinkling her nose at the relish with which the older woman consumed the beverage.

"Yes, well, that's what quite a lot of states would say about what it is that we're doing, and so stridently, too. In England, such things were never talked about – at least, not openly."

Anna shifted so that she was a little higher up, her weight resting on her elbows. Her hair came to rest over one shoulder as she tilted her head in order to observe Adelle more closely.

"Does it bother you that, you know, you're getting it on with a chick?"

"_Getting it on_?" Adelle closed her eyes momentarily and when she opened them again she favoured Echo with a tight smile. "No, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as you might think, in this instance, and certainly not as much as your vocabulary does. What was your plan, if not to ravish me into a good mood?"

Echo appeared to be content with the answer she received, because she didn't probe and further, instead leaping to her feet with feline agility and stretched, her tank top rising to allow Adelle a tantalising glimpse of her flat, bronzed stomach.

"Some wholesome, all-American fun, of course."

"Oh? I'm afraid that's not a concept I'm familiar with." An acid note of self-deprecation entered her voice. Adelle's mood was soured by how real it had felt, discussing her relationship with Echo, and how starkly the reality of her life contrasted with this experience. She saw the look of wounded confusion that passed behind Anna's doe-like eyes and turned away.

"Don't be like that, Catherine." Gently, she caressed the side of her lover's face.

Adelle tasted bile as she imagined Caroline's reaction to her weakness – the fact that she had resorted to such desperate methods as hiring Echo to have her own personal needs fulfilled and was exploiting her own power for self-gratification. Her neediness did not fit within the parameters of Caroline's utopia, but neither did it have a place in Adelle's own practical, orderly world.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Anna leant forward to press a kiss against her forehead. "Do you want to know what I think we should do?"

"Go on." Attempting to overcome her sudden urge to explain to Echo in excruciating detail why it was that she felt guilty, Adelle listened.

"I want you to go swimming with me. It may involve us getting very, very wet, but I'm prepared to deal with the consequences. Let's go." Extending a hand, she pulled Adelle to her feet. Having Echo so close by was agonising, yet she could no more stop booking the Active than she could admit to herself just how lonely she really felt.

"I don't see why not. Let me fetch my bathing suit."

"You don't need one..." Anna took Adelle's wrist, preventing her from going into her bedroom and changing. However, when she caught sight of her lover's expression she realised that it was not a battle that she had a chance of winning. "But maybe you'd like one, and that's okay too."

Swimming in the sea was one thing, but skinny dipping was a little more 'liberating' an experience than Adelle was prepared to try. In fact, if swimming costumes were constricting, she was more than happy to be oppressed. She pulled herself from Echo's grasp and went to change her clothes.

Once she was in her costume, Adelle knotted a sarong around her waist. She saw that Anna had stripped to reveal a bikini that left very little to the imagination. As she was leading the way down the steps, Adelle felt Anna's fingers lace through her own. The sun was warm against her skin and the sea air fresh. The next house on the bay was scarcely visible, and it felt as though Adelle had almost succeeded in shutting the unpleasant parts of the world out.

Clearly, Echo was delighted by the sight of the coast. As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, she raced towards the ocean, pulling Adelle along after her. She began to laugh, giddy with excitement, and Adelle found her amusement to be infectious. The sand was soft beneath her feet, the wind blew against her skin and she felt loved – in that moment, it was as though she had everything to laugh about. When she tried to slow down before they reached the water, Anna only sped up.

"Come on, Catherine!" Before Adelle could protest, she had dived backwards into a wave, pulling Adelle under the water with her.

Despite the heat of the early afternoon sun, the water was freezing cold. The salt water stung her eyes. Adelle was about to give in to her instincts and inhale the seawater when she was pulled to the surface: Echo's hand had never let go of hers. Breaking the surface, Adelle took a deep breath.

"Bloody hell. That was... downright reckless." As she began to tread water, Adelle pushed her dripping hair back from her face. Anna only smiled.

"You're beautiful when you let yourself be reckless." She lunged, pressing a kiss against Adelle's cheek. For a moment, she was submerged underwater until she managed to resurface. "But then again, you're always beautiful – especially in that swimsuit of yours. Let's jump waves!"

With that, Anna turned and began to swim back in to the shore. A wave sent her spilling onto the sand, the next one breaking over her face. Anna spluttered, wiping her eyes, and once more Adelle began to laugh as she made an altogether more graceful return from the water. In response, Anna sprung to her feet and leapt forwards, splashing Adelle.

She returned fire, chasing Anna along the shore, not even stopping to marvel over how Echo had changed her behaviour. With the Active, she felt comfortable being foolish.

"Truce! Truce!" Echo grasped her wrists and pulled Adelle down to sit beside her, erasing all thoughts of their mock-battle with a kiss. Her skin tasted deliciously salty. "Catherine? I think I love you."

Anna wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Together, they watched as the white of the surf approached, covering their feet for a few moments before reclining. It was another one of the perfect moments that Echo seemed so adept at providing her with.

"You think?" Adelle smiled teasingly. "I love you too. Anna."

"Wow. Nobody's ever said that to me – well, nobody that ever meant it, anyway." She pulled Adelle backwards so that they were both lying down on the sand, fingers intertwined, as they looked up at the perfect expanse of blue sky above them.

She couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth to what Echo had said. How many needy, lonely customers had convinced themselves that they were in love with the Active? How many of them had meant it? The thought that her love was mere human folly, like that of Echo's other clients, left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Let's go back and shower, shall we?" Adelle climbed to her feet, wiping the sand from the back of her legs as she went. Before she had gone far, Echo appeared at her side, the fallen sarong trailing behind her in the breeze like some kind of flag.

"That depends on one thing – we can shower together, right?" Anna smiled mischievously, her eyes sparkling.

"I wasn't aware of any alternative." As Anna smiled at her, Adelle was aware of experiencing a flush of heat that had very little to do with the sun.

**OoOoO**

It was difficult not to think of Echo as Anna or vice versa, and doubly so when she was presented with the aforementioned Active in her professional capacity rather than as a client of the Dollhouse. Anything was possible, when Caroline was involved – deeply ironic, in Adelle's opinion, considering how idealistic the young woman had always been. When Echo had stormed into her house dragging Lawrence Dominic by the arm, her first thought upon seeing the Active had been that Echo had, against all odds, sought her out. Needless to say, Adelle was disappointed when her brain caught up with her heart – there was no reason for her to have brought Mr Dominic, who had most definitely looked worse for wear, along to a romantic encounter.

All the same, as she addressed her former Chief of Staff, Adelle couldn't help but notice a flicker of something that looked a lot like recognition pass behind Echo's eyes. It was only there for the briefest of seconds, and then it was gone as though it had never existed – much like their love affair, the only evidence of which were the newly framed pictures on her wall.

What horror she had felt at Dominic's betrayal, however well she had concealed it, had been both eased and heightened by Echo's actions. It was clear that she was still evolving, which shouldn't have been the case.

Had she been whimsical by nature, upon hearing Topher's explanation, Adelle would have allowed herself to wish that Echo had done it for her – saved the Dollhouse to protect her; an act of love. The idea was positively outlandish, so much so that Adelle didn't allow herself to dwell upon it. Caroline Farrell's motivation would certainly not have been to assist a woman abusing her own power – abusing Echo's vulnerability in Active state.

**OoOoO**

**Thanks for reading. Please, please leave me a review.**


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